The present invention relates generally to wireless communication devices having a built-in camera, and more particularly, to image capturing features of such devices.
In recent years, wireless communication devices with built-in cameras have become increasingly popular. One such device, referred to herein as a camera phone, combines a cellular telephone and digital camera into a single device. Consumers may use camera phones to capture images, send and receive digital images, and/or participate in a video teleconference.
Camera phones are particularly useful for capturing unexpected events that occur when other types of cameras are not readily available. For example, while at a playground a mother may see her child walk for the first time. In another example, old friends may run into each other at the mall. In still another example, a dog owner may be amused by a puppy's behavior at a park. In all of these examples, the participants may wish to capture a snapshot of the event. While a camera phone may easily capture a still snapshot of a group of friends, conventional camera phones may have difficulty capturing a clear snapshot of a moving object, such as a child or pet, and/or of a desired object in an ambiguous scene having multiple objects.